Automatic handling mechanism for storage battery panels



April 24, 1934. I J GRAVES 1,956,022

AUTOMATIC HANDLING MECHANISM FOR STORAGE BATTERY PANELS Filed Jan. 2,1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 Z4 @i. .i. llfifiiim 117 [4 117' jWEU/AW April24, 1934. GRAVES 1,956,022

AUTOMATIC HANDLING MECHANISM FOR STORAGE BATTERY PANELS Filed Jan. 2,1951 e Sheets-Sheet 2 .1 L L J-II.- IL I I April 24, 1934. J GRAVES1,956,022

7 AUTOMATIC HANDLING MECHANISM FOR STORAGE BATTERY PANELS Filed Jan. 2.1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 J.GRAVES April 24, 1934.

AUTOMATIC HANDLING MECHANISM FOR STORAGE BATTERY PANELS Filed Jan. 2.1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 ffimn/af W MM a M J. GRAVES April 24; 1934.

AUTOMATIC HANDLING MECHANISM FOR STORAGE BATTERY PANELS Filed Jan. '2,1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. GRAVES 1,956,022

HANDLING MECHANISM FOR STORAGE BATTERY PANELS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 April 24,1934.

AUTOMATIC Filed Jan. 2. 1931 y If J i 4 1| Ill! 1' llll & m {EM mg m a/z v Q 2 2 3 c C 3 1 A 3 3 t c a j; V5 7/271 Patented Apr. 24, 1934UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC HANDLING MECHANISM FOR STORAGE BATTERY PANELSJohn Graves, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Globe- Union Mfg. 00.,Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin ApplicationJanuary 2,

15 Claims.

This invention relates in general to the manu-' facture of storagebatteries and more particularly to the production of plates for use insuch batteries.

Among the objects of the present invention are to facilitate and speedup as well as render more economical the cost of producing the plates ofa storage battery. This object is accomplished in general by enhancingthe drying action to which the plates are subjected after being pastedand by eliminating manual handling of the plates during and after thedrying operation and during their transfer from the dryer to the cutter.Throughout the operation, manual handling is avoided, the grids beingretained in panel form from the time they are cast until they are readyfor the burning operation and being mechanically handled during thedrying and during their transfer and feed to the cutter press.

In carrying out the present invention the vgrids are cast in panel formwith the grid lugs projecting from the opposite sides of the upper endof the panel. There is thus two grids in each panel. The grids arepasted to form the complete battery plates and are carried through thedrying process in panel form, that is, each panel contains two batteryplates. The pasting operation is speeded up as it is easier for thepaster to apply the paste to the panels than it is to the separategrids. The retention of the plates in panel form during the dryingprocess makes it possible to eliminate the trays or drying boxes. theoppositely projecting lugs of the plates being adapted for operativeconnection with an endless conveyor leading through the drying oven. At-

the discharge end of the oven a suitable transfer means, as for example,an elevating conveyor engages the lugs of the panels and carries thepanel up into a storage station or storage rack. In the storage stationthe panels are supported in an inclined position ready to be deliveredone by one to a transferring device which acts at the proper time, inconjunction with an ejecting mechanism, to carry the panels from thestorage station or rack down into the control of a feeding mechanism.The feeding mechanism is in operative relation to a cutter andpreferably embodies reciprocable panel feeders which act to feed thepanels into a cutter or die and also to remove the plates from the die.The cutter separates each panel into its two plates and in additionshears a small amount of metal off of the ends of the lugs to provideclean material for the subsequent burning operations.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain 1931, Serial No. 506,112

novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointedout in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the mechanism employed betweenthe drying oven and the cutter for transferring the panels from the ovento the cutter;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on line 2-2 ofFigure 6 and showing the constructionof the storage station or storagerack, the ejecting mechanism and transfer device and associatedstructure, parts being shown in elevation for the sake of illustration;

Figure 3 is view partly in section and partly in elevation illustratingthe mechanism employed in the machine beyond the left hand end of Fi ure2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the storagerack, transfer device and associated mechanism, but illustrating thetransfer device in a different position from that shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the feedingmechanism as positioned when a cut is being made;

Figure 6 is a view taken on line 66 of Figure showing the conveyoremployed in the drying oven; and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary detail view in section taken on line 1111 ofFigure 10.

As shown in Figure 6, the grids G and G are cast in the form'of a panel1 having outwardly directed lugs 2 at the upper ends of its oppositesides. The grids are adapted to be severed or out along line 3. In thepanel form, the grids are pasted in the conventional manner and afterthe pasting operation, the resulting battery plates are deposited eitherby hand or by a suitable automatic loading mechanism on the conveyordesignated generally at 5 and which runs through and projects slightlybeyond the ends of a drying oven 6.

The conveyor 5 (see Figures 1, 10 and 11) consists of two transverselyspaced and parallel endless chains 7, the pivot pins 8 of the links ofthe chains 7 carrying rollers 9 which engage in the notches 10 of thesupporting and driving sprockets 12. The rollers 9 of the upper run ofeach chain ride in and along a track 13 (see Figure 11) to preventsagging of the runs of the chain carrying the load. The links of thechains carry supporting brackets 14 having notched or grooved flanges 15adapted to receive and support the lugs 2 of the panels 1. By carryingthe plates in panel form through the drying oven and supporting themfrom their lugs 2 and in spaced relation to each other, bettercirculation of the air is had and the drying action is more eificient.In addition, the use of drying trays or boxes, and the handling involvedin the use of such, is avoided.

At the discharge end of the oven a suitable conveyor, such as anelevating conveyor designated generally at 16 is provided and as shownin Figures 1, 2 and 6, comprises two endless sprocket chains 17 trainedabout idler sprocket wheels 18 and driving sprocket wheels 20 carried onshafts 21 and 22, respectively, the shafts 21 and 22 being supported forrotation in a frame structure designated generally at 23 bolted down toan extension of the bed or frame of the cutter as indicated at 23' inFigure 1. The links of the endless chains 1'7 are provided with lugs 24(see Figure 2) which are engageable with the lugs 2 of the panels sothat the panels are supported on the endless chains of the elevatingconveyor and carried up by the conveyor in the manner illustrated inFigures 1 and 2. p

At the upper or delivery end of the elevating conveyor a storage stationor storage rack is provided for the panels and is constituted by a bot--tom plate 25 secured to and supported on frame 23 and formed at itsforward end with a downwardly inclining portion 26. The storage rackalso includes retaining bars 27 of angle formation carried by the upperportions of the side members of the frame 23 (see Figure 6) andinclining slightly downwardly from the horizontal. Top lugs 28 arecarried by the retaining bars 27 and project inwardly over the panels inthe storage rack just rearwardly of the bars 27. Just forwardly of thedownturned end 26 of the bottom plate 25 a stop plate 30 is incorporatedin the rack structure. The parts 25, 26, 27 and 28 serve to support aplurality of the panels 1 in the position shown in Figure 2. Afterleaving the conveyor 16, the panels are guided into the storage rack byguide strips 31 arranged at the sides of the conveyor and carried by theframe 23. The guide strips 31 slope gradually downwardly to insure aneasy descent of the panels into the storage rack.

A slide or chute designated generally at C, extends downwardly from thestorage'rack to the feeding mechanism designated generally at F. Thisslide or chute is made up of a pair of side rails 32, the upper end ofeach side rail being fastened to an upright side member of the frame 23and the lower end of each side rail being fastened to the base member ofthis frame 23. The panels 1 are taken one by one from the storage rackor storage station and are carried down on to the side rails of theslide and permitted to slide by gravity down into the path or into thefield of operation of the feeding mechanism. For accomplishing thispurpose a transfer device is provided and consists of two transfer arms34 spaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the width of the bodyof the panel so as to be adapted to engage the lugs 2 of the panels 1.These arms 34 are positioned on the outsides of the rails 32 of thechute or slide and have bearing portions 35 mounted for rotation on asupporting shaft 36 carried by the side rails 32. The outer ends of thearms 34 are notched as at 34 to receive and effectively engage the lugsof the panels. Suitably connected with the transfer arms 34 are crankarms 37. For the sake of simplicity in illustration the crank arms 37are shown as being formed integral with the bearing portions of thecarrier arms 34, but in this instance as in others, details of theparticular design may be varied. The outer ends of the crank arms 37 arepivotally connected as at 38 to connecting rods 39. These rods 39 haveslotted portions 40 slidably receiving a shaft 41 which has fixedthereto, cams 42, there being one cam 42 for each connecting rod 39.Camways or cam grooves 43 are provided in the cams 42 and receiverollers 44 mounted on the connecting rods 39 and projecting laterallytherefrom and into the grooves. The cam-ways 43 are shaped and designedto cause the arms 34 to swing from the position shown in Figure 2 up tothe position shown in Figure 4 to receive a panel ejected from thestorage rack by the ejecting mechanism (which will be later described)and then to swing back down into the position shown in Figure 2 andbelow the side rails 32 to deposit the lugs 2 of the panels in the siderails and permit the panels to slide down to the lower end of the slideor chute C and into engagement with yieldable stops 40'. Stops 40' arepivotally mounted as at 41' and are held in position to arrest themovement of the panels by light springs 42'. During the travel of thepanels down the chute or slide C, their lugs 2 ride on the tops of theslide rails 32 and the bottom ends of the panels slide on flanges 32'which may be formed integral with the side rails of the slide and whichproject inwardly and laterally from the side rails.

Considering Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings it will be understood thatin vorder to deliver a panel from the storage rack or storage station tothe transfer arms 34, it is necessary to lift the panel to such extentthat its lower edge clears the upper edge of the stop plate 30 and itslugs 2 clear the inturned ends of the retaining bars 27 of the rack. Forthis purpose, an ejector plate 45 is provided and'is slidable along thestop plate 7 30. The ejector plate 45 is positioned so that the foremostpanel has its bottom edge resting on the top edge of the plate 45. Thelower edge of the ejector plate 45 is received and secured in a slot 46provided in a transverse bar 47. The ends of the bar 47 are pivotallyconnected to the lower ends of links 48. The upper ends of, the links 43are connected to the connecting rods 39 by p and slot connections 49. Itwill be noted that the connecting rods 39 do not partake of rectilinearor straight line motion, but due to theiLconnection at their forwardends with the crank arms 37, not only move back and forth, but also upand down. The up and down movement of the connecting rods 39 is utilizedto raise and lower the ejector plate 45 since this up and down movementis transmitted to the ejector plate through the links 48. By virtue ofthe provision of the pin and slot connection or lost motion conswing thetransfer arms 34 up into position to receive the panels before theejector plate 45 elevates the panel to be deliveredto thetransfer devicesufficiently to release it from the storage rack.

When the transfer arms 34 swing downwardly to carry a panel from thestorage rack over onto the slide, the lower edge of the panel travelsover a guide finger 50 which may conveniently be provided upon thecentral portion of the stop plate 30.

The feeding mechanism F comprises a body plate 60 slidably mounted inguides 61 (see Figures 7 and 8) and provided at its forward end withfeeding fingers 62, the fingers 62 being integrally formed with orotherwise rigidly connected to the body plate 60 and projecting from thesides of the forward end of the plate. The forward ends of the feedingfingers 62 are undercut as at 63 to insure effective engagement betweenthese feeding fingers and the lugs 2 of the panels (see Figure'2). Theplate 60 and its fingers 62 are reciprocated by means of a rack 64secured to the under side of the plate and meshing with an oscillatinggear 65 secured on a shaft 66. The shaft 66 is provided with a crank arm67 adjustably connected as at 68 to the lower end of the connecting rod69, the upper end of which rod 69 is connected with the crank pin 70projecting outwardly from the crank disc 71 secured to the projectingend 72 of the main shaft of the cutter press (see Figure 1). The feedfingers 62 work back and forth under the lower ends of the side rails ofthe slide or chute C and when these fingers move to the left as shown inFigure 2, they encounter the lugs 2 of the panels and consequently causethe panels to move with them, the stops 40 yielding to permit movementof the panels along with the feed fingers and on to the bed of thecutter.

For the purpose of automatically removing the grids cut from the panelsfrom the bed of the cutter and pushing these grids over on to aninspection or take off belt '75, dogs '76 are pivotally mounted as at 77onslides 78 (see Figures 2 and 7). The slides '78 are of U-shaped formin transverse cross section (see Figure 8) and are supported for slidinglongitudinal movement on actuating strips 79. The actuating strips 79are bolted as at 80 to the under side of the body plate 60 and havedriving pins 81 projecting up through slots 82 in the slides 78. Thisloose connection between the slides and their actuating strips '79permits the forward ends of the strips 79 to coact with the dogs 76 toregulate their projection or retraction. The extent of projection of thedogs 76 is limited by stop pins 83 carried by the slide '78 (see Figure2). The dogs 76 are biased to retracted position by virtue of their ownweight and are projected when the forward ends of the strips '79 strikethe depending portions of the dogs.-

The slides 78 and their strips 79 travel in ways or grooves 85 providedtherefor in the bed 86 of the cutter and when moved to the left asviewed in Figures 2, 5 and 7, act through their dogs 76 to push thegrids off of the bed and on to the inspection belt '75. This actionoccurs after each cutting operation.

The cutter comprisesthe bed 86 and a reciprocable cutter head 88, thehead 88 carrying spring projected pressure pads 89 and an inclining orbeveled shearing knife 90 (see Figures 3, 5 and 9). The pressure pads 89are disposed downwardly or in advance of the edge of the shearing knifeso that when the head 88 descends the pressure pads first engage theplates of the panel and hold these plates firmly in. position during thesubsequent cutting action carried out by the blade 90 and cooperablecutters 91 secured inthe bed 86 and flanking a slot 92 accommodatingblade or knife 91. (Compare Figures 7 and 9). The inclining formation ofthe knife edge 90 insures a clean, easy cut and prevents pellets orpaste from being dislodged from the plates. Any powdery particles of thepaste that may be rubbed off the plates drops through holes 95 formed inthe bed of the press and leading downwardly from runways 85.

Simultaneously with the severing of the panel into the two plates,excess metal is cut off from the ends of the lugs 2 to provide cleanmetal for the burn'ng operation. This cutting of the metal from the lugsis accomplished by means of cutters secured as at 101 to the cutter headand cooperating with fixed cutters 102 secured to the bed of the cutterpress.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the panels are carriedthrough the drier in such manner as to enhance the drying action and asto eliminate the necessity of employing drying racks or boxes. At thedischarge end of the drying oven the panels are automatically taken fromthe conveyor of the drying oven, carried up into a storage rack,delivered one by one to a transfer device and carried by the transferdevice over on to a chute which leads down to the feeding mechanism. Thefeeding mechanism is synchronized in its action with the action of thecutter and serves, to feed the panels at the proper time on to the bedof thecutter. After the panels are cut into plates, they are removedfrom the bed of the cutter without the necessity of the operator placinghis hand beneath the knife.

The transfer device, and its cooperable conveyor 16 are synchronized intheir action with the conveyor of the drying oven and all of theseinstrumentalities are synchronized in their action with the cutterpress. This may be accomplished by driving the cutter press and theconveyor of the drier at proper relative speeds and taking the drive forthe shaft 41 from the conveyor drive.

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for transferring pasted grid panels from a conveyor of adrying oven to a cutter press and comprising a second conveyor havingmeans cooperable with the lugs of the panels for picking up the panelfrom the oven conveyor, a storage rack for receiving the panels fromsaid second conveyor, feeding mechanism operated in synchronism with thecutter press and means for transferring the panels from the storage rackto the feeding mechanism.

2. A machine for transferring pasted grid panels from a conveyor to acutter press and comprising an elevator conveyor having means cooperablewith the lugs of the panels for picking up the panel from said firstnamed conveyor, a storage rack for receiving the panels from the upperend of the elevator conveyor, feeding mechanism operated in synchronismwith the cutter press, means for transferring the panels from thestorage rack to the feeding mechanism and comprising an ejector for dsplacing the panels one by one from the storage rack, a transfer devicereceiving the panels as they are ejected from the storage rack and aslide on which the panels are deposited by the transfer device, saidslide being arranged in cooperative relation to the feeding mechanism.

3. A machine for transferring pasted grid panels from a drying oven to acutter and comprising a conveyor for picking up the panels from theoven, a storage rack receiving the panels 5 from the conveyor and havingmeans for supporting the panels in an inclined position, feedingmechanism operated in synchronism with the cutter and includingreciprocable panel feeders supported in cooperative relation to thecutter and below the storage rack, a slide between said storage rack andsaid feeding mechanism and terminating at its lower end adjacent thepath of movement of said panel feeders, a swing able transfer device forcarrying panels from the storage station to the slide, an ejector fordelivering the panels one by one from the supporting means of thesupporting rack to the transfer device, and means for coordinatelyactuating the transfer device and ejector.

4. In a machine of the character described for use with panels andincluding'a storage rack, means for delivering the panels to the storagerack, a slide leading from the storage rack to a feeding mechanism, anejector for displacing the panels one by one from the storage rack,swingable transfer arms for taking the panels displaced by the ejectorand transferring them to the slide, crank arms connected to the transferarm, connecting rods pivotally connected to the .crank arms, cam meansfor operating the connecting rods and links pivotally connected to theejector and having a lost motion-connection to the connecting rods.

5. A machine for transferring pasted grid panels from a conveyor of adrying .oven to a cutter press and comprising a storage rack, means forcarrying the panels from the conveyor of the drying oven to the storagerack, feeding mechanism operated in synchronism with the cutter press,an ejector for displacing the panels one by one from the storage rack,swingable transfer arms for taking the panels displaced by the ejectorand moving them into the control of the feeding means and means forcoordinately actuating the ejector and transfer arms.

6. A machine for drying pasted panels and severing them into gridsadapted for use in a storage battery and comprising a drying oven, aconveyor extended through the drying oven and having means engageablewith the lugs of the panels for supporting the panels and carrying themthrough the drying oven, a cutter press, feeding mechanism for thecutter press and means cooperating with the lugs of the panels fortaking the panels from the conveyor and delivering .them one by one tothe feeding mechanism.

'7. In a machine of the character described, 'a cutter press including abed having fixed cutters and a reciprocable cutter head havingcooperable movable cutters for severing panels into grids, and means forfeeding panels to the bed of the cutter press and removing the gridsfrom the bed and comprising a reciprocable member having feed fingerscooperable with the panels for pushing them on to the bed of the press,grid engaging dogs, slides on which said dogs are pivotally mounted andactuating strips secured to the reciprocable member and looselyconnected to the slides and engageable with the dogs for regulating theprojection and retraction thereof.

8. A machine of the character described, including a drying oven havinga conveyor provided with means adapted to engage and support a panel byits lugs, a cutter press, and means cooperable with the lugs of thepanels for automatically taking them from the conveyor of the dryingoven and feeding them one by one to the cutter press.

9. A machine of the character described comprising means cooperable withlugs of a panel for taking them from a dryer, a storage rack to whichthe panels are delivered by said means, feeding mechanism for a cutterpress and means for transferring the panels from the storage rack to thefeeding mechanism.

10. Feeding mechanism for a cutter press operable to sever a panel intotwo grids and comprising reciprocable feed members slidable back andforth across the bed of the cutter press and adapted to engage the lugsof the panels to feed the .panels onto the bed of the press.

-11. Feeding mechanism for a cutter press operable to sever a panel intotwo grids and comprising reciprocable feed members slidable back andforth across the bed of the cutter press and adapted to engage the lugsof the panels to feed the panels onto the bed of the press, and meansactuated in synchronism with the feeding members to push the severedgrids from the bed of the press.

12. Feeding mechanism for a cutter press bperable to sever a panel intotwo grids and com prising reciprocable feed members slidable back andforth across the bed of the cutter press and adapted to engage the lugsof the panels to feed the panels onto the bed of the press, and meansactuated in synchronism with the feeding members to push the severedgrids from the bed of the press, and consisting of grid engaging dogsalso movable across the bed of the cutter press and automaticallyprojected and retracted during their operative and return movementsacross the bed of the press.

13. A machine of the character described for carrying panels through adryer and feeding them to a cutter press and comprising a conveyor extending through the dryer and having means engageable with the lugs ofthe panels for supporting panels and carrying them through the dryer,feeding mechanism for the cutter press and means between the feedingmechanism and the conveyor and cooperable with the lugs of the panelsfor transferring the panels from the conveyor to the feeding mechanism.

14. Automatic mechanism for handling pasted grid panels and feeding themto a cutter press comprising a conveyor having means cooperable with thelugs of the panels for picking them up and conveying them, astorage'station receiving the panels from the conveyor, feedingmechanism operated in synchronism with the cutter press and cooperablewith the lugs of the panels for feeding them to the cutter press andmeans for delivering the panels one by one from the storage-station tosaid feeding mechanism.

15. Feeding mechanism for a cutter press operable to sever a pasted gridinto two grids and comprising reciprocable feed members having atefeeding fingers engageable with the lugs of the

